


RIVAL

by O_san



Category: Slam Dunk
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 12:08:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12958863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/O_san/pseuds/O_san
Summary: Surprisingly, one day Rukawa actually walking towards him while Hanamichi sat on the sand reading another Haruko’s letter.





	1. Follow Me With Your Life

Hanamichi was sure enough that Kitsune only appeared to annoyed him. 

Somehow, whenever the-no-longer-rookie gets his free time before going back to the hospital, he always run into that stupid brat. Either at a beach when Hanamichi read Haruko’s letter or when Hanamichi successfully sneak out for a bit to supermarkets to buy some snacks. Maybe, the sentences Rukawa said to him about “follow him for life” should have been for himself because no matter how much the red hair tried to avoid the other man, he always there. 

One other thing that always makes him want to punch the other guy is how he always has to wear that All Japan uniform. It’s still beyond him for actually agreeing with Couch Anzai to do his rehabilitation program in a hospital near the All Japan Camp. The old man said, it would help him recover much faster by meeting with familiar faces such as Sendoh and Maki that surprisingly visiting him once a week. He’s sure enough it’s Coach Anzai’s doing but secretly grateful for it. Yet, what the red hair didn’t expected is how Rukawa is also joining the camp and not even bothered to properly meet him like anyone else. 

For god sake, they’re still in the same team. 

But on the other hand, he is somehow thankful for it. Admitting that he might need him as a partner in a competition with Sannoh by passing the ball to him is already bad enough. He couldn’t and wouldn’t let that brat see him in his weakest form while doing the rehabilitation. It hurts as hell, more than any punch he ever received from his enemies back then, and no matter how much he said that he’s fine, he sometimes couldn’t hide the expression of being in pain. 

If it isn’t for the love of basketball that he is now have, he would definitely give up. 

\---

At first, he didn’t expect that he would living in fear while being in rehabilitation center. He thought that after he meets the doctor, he would be back to normal in no time but what he heard at the first meeting with the doctor scared him to death. The short hair woman said that it would be so hard for him to jump like before but then she assured him again that if he persistently following the program she makes; he could be back as a tensai he actually is.

He used to be such a positive person but maybe this time, he couldn’t deny how terrified he is of losing every ability he has learnt in the last four months. What make it worse is how the rival of his life that training somewhere near him now would definitely getting better and better. 

How could he reach him with his conditions now?

But lord knows his creation and somehow gifted him a specialty to covering up his messed up mind on his face. No matter how much nightmares he has now that makes him fear to fall a sleep or how much it actually hurts him whenever Sendoh tells him about their hard training, Hanamichi still could laugh and make fun of everything.

Today is already his first month in the hospital and also one months of never playing basketball. He misses the sound whenever he run on that wood floor, or the feeling of getting a perfect rebound. Hell, He even misses every basic training Gori gave him before. 

In his condition now, even touching the ball would be nice enough. 

\---

Surprisingly, one day Rukawa actually walking towards him while Hanamichi sat on the sand reading another Haruko’s letter. Maybe because it’s actually the first time he sees him in close since the day they won against Sannoh, Hanamichi realized that the other man is getting taller. He’s secretly cursed to himself for actually recognized that.

“Kitsune.”

“Do’aho.” 

Casually, Rukawa sits beside him. Not even bothered to asking him how’s he doing and just drink his mineral water. They both are in silent and they know it’s such a rare moment for them to actually in peace. It sucks, but Hanamichi is somehow pleased by having his team mate actually there beside him. 

\---

“Lunch?” 

Hanamichi looked up as Rukawa stands in front of him with a plastic bag full of onigiri on his right hands. There is no sign of him smiling, of course.

“Sure do, Kitsune. You finally know my worth as tensai, huh?” 

“Cih” but still decided to sits beside him on the sand.

It’s been two weeks since the day Rukawa approached him and since then, it’s becoming a habit for them to meet each other whenever they got no activities. Sometimes, even when Rukawa is so busy with the training, the dark hair boy still come to rehabilitation center and eat dinner with him in a hospital cafeteria. They sometimes argue about things like they always do with some cursed word here and there but none of them actually denied that they are actually enjoying the presence of each other. 

As for Hanamichi, even though he won’t ever tell the other man this shit, but being with him these last few weeks actually helping him a lot in recovery. The nightmares are somehow disappeared, the program doesn’t feel too tough anymore, and the fears of losing to this man is somehow change into wishing to becoming better so they could be a good partner in the end just like what the old man Anzai wants. 

They will always be a rival, though. 

“Do’aho”

Hanamichi wakes up from his day dream and look Rukawa in the eyes while still munching his onigiri, “Wyat?”

“This is my last day in camp”

He stopped eating his food. He just looked at Rukawa’s flat face that somehow, maybe because they are being with each other too much, Hanamichi know there is some sign of worriedness in his eyes.

“When- “

“Tomorrow.”

He put his not finished onigiri back to the plastic bag. He looked away from Kitsune and just stay in silence for a long time. Hanamichi couldn’t think straight. He should be fine by this. He knew from the very start that the camp only lasted for 2 and half months and all his friends will come back to their own school to train for the winter competition. So, why is it so hard for him to laugh it off like he usually does? He should make some jokes now or else Rukawa would know his weak mind and-

“Follow me with your life.”

What?

“What?”

“Don’t think too much and finish the treatment.”

“Of course, I would finish the treatment, dumbass! I, tensai, will kick your ass at school next month!”

“Cih” and he stands up, leaving the irritated Hanamichi alone.

\---

It might be Rukawa’s way but he’s simply gone. 

He doesn’t even come to rehabilitation like Maki nor Sendoh. He just goes back to Kanagawa without saying anything except yesterday’s conversation. Stupid of him to believing that maybe they could be friends. 

“Ah, I almost forgot.” The Ryonan’s ace is zipping out his sport bag and taking out a basketball, “Rukawa said to give it to you. He said, you should train a bit before coming back to school.” Sendoh stopped talking while trying to remember more message Rukawa has asked him to say to the red head, “Oh yeah, and he said. ‘Don’t be an idiot anymore.’”

“That brat!” but still accepting the ball. Sendoh and Maki laugh at him while Hanamichi keeps talking bad about Kitsune even though he knows, deep down, he feels grateful to his ultimate rival.


	2. Red Head is Back

“How do you know my home?”

And just like always, the idiot just gave him those stupid laughs while praising himself as tensai for knowing his address. Never in his life, he actually imagines the day when the red head will stand in front of his house like they’re actually friends. But after observing for 5 minutes, he finally realized that Do’aho comes to challenge him as he sees the basketball on his hands. 

“You won’t ever win against me, Do’Aho.” Especially when you just recovered. 

Do’aho is giving him a sad smile which makes Rukawa feels something’s not right. Being yelled at or being called names are what Sakuragi did to him, not opening up like this. It might be because of their weird relationship back when he was in hospital but it’s still a shock for him for realizing that maybe, this man in front of him actually sees him as a friend, or at least someone that tolerable enough to talk to now. And because of that, for the very first time, he doesn’t know what to do with this creature in front of him. 

“You afraid, Kitsune?” 

\---

It was bad.

Back then, he was bad because he knew nothing but now, he is simply bad. Rukawa isn’t a person that likes to pitying someone but he can’t help but feeling uneasy toward his team mate. Do’aho still gets the sense, but somehow his body can’t move the way he wanted anymore like before. No one is denied that Do’aho is talented, not even himself. Even though, he never says it out loud, but he’s waiting the day that Sakuragi actually equals to him and then maybe, finally they could compete for real. But after having one game with him now, he’s not sure it will happen soon. “Let’s stop, Do’aho.”

“One more time.” He spoke in serious tone while still dribbles the ball and run into to the rink while Rukawa just stands there, not even bothered to make some defense. The red hair stopped before he shoot the ball and slammed the ball hard while yelling at him, “ARE YOU UNDERESTIMATING ME?!”

The red hair walks fast towards him and grabs on Rukawa’s shoulder. “WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME ?!”

Rukawa pushes his both hands from his shoulder, “You know why.” He decided to leave and finding it more easy to not look at Do’aho’s miserable eyes. 

\---

The next day, Rukawa expecting to see the red hair at school but no, there no him just like a month ago. Part of him said that it’s not his problem but another part of him couldn’t stay still. He can’t believe he actually go to one of the red head’s gang’s class to spy that maybe he’s there but find nothing which makes him disappointed and somehow feeling silly for having that moment. 

“Kitsune? Oh, I mean, Rukawa? What are you doing here?”

He ignored whoever this black hair’s name is and just looked out at the window, hoping he would go away but the man still stands right in front of him with a smile on his face which makes him has to answer it. “Nothing.”

Right before he decided to walk out from that uncomfortable situation, the other man said, “If you’re looking for Hanamichi, he’s at Couch Anzai’s house.” And the man goes back to the class and stopped mid-way before turning around and said, “You’re very welcome” 

\---

Since he was a child, nothing occupied his mind more than being the best basketball player in the world. So, to actually skip club activities for a day means a lot to him. No matter how much he tried to understand why he did this, he keeps walking towards that traditional japan house he was once visited. 

He’s now right in front of the gate. He’s looking at the bell but still unsure about this impulsive decision but whatever, he should just push th-

“Oh, Rukawa-kun?”

“Ah yes, madam. I want-“

“Come inside, dear. He’s with Sakuragi-kun at the garden. Come, come.” 

\---

The madam is leading the way for him to the garden. He could already hear the sound of ball’s being bouncing and the red head’s screams of frustrations. Once he gets there, finally he could see a small basketball court with one rink on the side, but more importantly finally he could see the person that he’s been searching since morning. Somehow, he felt relieved but again, denied it in a second.

“ Rukawa-kun? ” He looked back as Couch Anzai suddenly appeared from behind. “ Ho, Ho, Ho. What are you doing here?”

“I just-“

Coach Anzai walked past him and shout to the red hair, “Rukawa is here! Ho, Ho, Ho.”

The red hair is finally stop shooting and looking at Rukawa in intense glare. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

But before Rukawa could answer him, Coach Anzai is already taking the lead of the conversation. “Well, it’s actually a good timing. Sakuragi-kun, come in to house.” 

Rukawa could hear the growling from the red head. Maybe, this shit seriously not a good decision. He might still could run away from this-

Coach Anzai walks in to the house and without bothering to look behind, “You too, Rukawa-kun.”

\---

At last, the old man leaving both of them in his office to watching their competition video with Sannoh. The red hair isn’t saying anything, nor does Rukawa knows what to say. So maybe, they both settled to be civil with each other. But knowing, this idiot, it won’t last long, he believed. 

“What are you doing here, brat?”

“None of your business.”

And they’re back in silence and thankfully the video is finally coming to the end but he can’t help realizing that in that video, somehow for the very first time they were partners. How the red hair is actually passing the ball to him, or how in that moment, somehow Rukawa believed that the idiot would successfully get the final score to make them win.  
“Do you guys know why I asked you guys to watch the video?”

This old man might have a hobby to show up unexpectedly. Both of them just shakes their head together. Couch Anzai just laugh in his style, “I need you guys to be partnered just like the last minutes of that game.”

\---

Both of them walk side to side to get to the train station and surely thinking about what Couch Anzai said before they went back. 

To tell the truth, everything Couch Anzai said is true. If they could have united, at least for basketball thing, Shohoku would become a better team than before. Especially, since Gor- no, Captain Akagi already quit, we need to have a better tactic for the next competition and being partnered with him might be a very nice solution. 

But then again, the idiot isn’t the idiot that he known before. They’re only have 2 months before the competition and Rukawa isn’t sure about it. Can the red hair actually back to his self like before?

“Do you want me as your partner?”

They stopped walking and looked at each other. “I said, do you want me as your partner?” He repeats his question.

“Can you?” Rukawa is sure enough that the other man would yelled at him but no, nothing is coming but quietness. 

“As long as you trust me.” He looked down at the concrete. “I know I lost a lot of my strength but if you want to do what Couch Anzai asked us, I would definitely could.”  
Rukawa can’t help but disbelief of what he heard just now. It feels like talking to someone else that is not easily triggered creature that he known. Rukawa looked at him one more time before answering it, “Let’s do it, Do’aho.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one-shot but maybe there will be another chapter when Sakuragi actually back to Shohoku.


End file.
